HIV and other viral infections are one leading cause of death. HIV is a disease in which a virus is replicated in the body which attacks the body's immune system. The HIV virus is not easily destroyed nor is there a good mechanism for keeping the host cells from replicating the virus. Herpes Simplex is another viral infection which is difficult, if not impossible, to cure. A method of treating these diseases and other viral infections is highly desirable. Clearly a material which would target the HIV virus and inhibit viral replication is highly desirable.
Cancers are a leading cause of death in animals and humans. The exact cause of cancer is not known, but links between certain activities such as smoking or exposure to carcinogens and the incidence of certain types of cancers and tumors has been shown by a number of researchers.
Many types of chemotherapeutic agents have been shown to be effective against cancers and tumor cells, but not all types of cancers and tumors respond to these agents. Unfortunately, many of these agents also destroy normal cells. The exact mechanism for the action of these chemotherapeutic agents are not always known.
Despite advances in the field of cancer treatment the leading therapies to date are surgery, radiation and chemotherapy. Chemotherapeutic approaches are said to fight cancers that are metastisized or ones that are particularly aggressive. Such cytocidal or cytostatic agents work best on cancers with large growth factors, i.e., ones whose cells are rapidly dividing. To date, hormones, in particular estrogens, progesterone and testosterone, and some antibiotics produced by a variety of microbes, alkylating agents, and anti-metabolites form the bulk of therapies available to oncologists. Ideally cytotoxic agents that have specificity for cancer and tumor cells while not affecting normal cells would be extremely desirable. Unfortunately, none have been found and instead agents which target especially rapidly dividing cells (both tumor and normal) have been used.
Clearly, the development of materials that would target tumor cells due to some unique specificity for them would be a breakthrough. Alternatively, materials that were cytotoxic to tumor cells while exerting mild effects on normal cells would be desirable. Therefore, it is an object of this invention to provide a pharmaceutical composition that is effective in inhibiting the growth of tumors and cancers in mammals with mild or no effects on normal cells.
More specifically, it is an object of this invention to provide an anti-cancer composition comprising a pharmaceutical carrier and a benzimidazole derivative as defined herein along with a method for treating such cancers.
These compositions are also effective against viruses and can be used to treat viral infections. Therefore it is another object of this invention to provide a method of treating viral infections such as HIV, influenza and rhinoviruses.
These and other objects will become evident from the following detailed description of this inventions.
A pharmaceutical composition for treatment of viral infections and cancer in mammals, and in particular, warm blooded animals and humans, comprising a pharmaceutical carrier and an effective amount of compound having the formula: ##STR2## where R is selected from the group consisting of H, carboxyl (--CO.sub.2 H), hydroxyl, amino or esters (--CO.sub.2 R') wherein R' is selected from the group consisting of alkoxy, haloalkyl, alkenyl, and cycloalkyl wherein the alkyl groups have from 1-8 carbons or CH.sub.3 CH.sub.2 (OCH.sub.2 CH.sub.2).sub.n -- or CH.sub.3 CH.sub.2 CH.sub.2 (OCH.sub.2 CH.sub.2 CH.sub.2).sub.n -- or (CH.sub.3).sub.2 CH-- and ##STR3## and(OCH(CH.sub.3)CH.sub.2).sub.n -- wherein n is from 1-3 or the pharmaceutically acceptable inorganic or organic acid salts thereof, or mixtures thereof. The preferred alkyl groups are straight chain. Preferably the halogen is substituted on the terminal carbon, and the halogen is chlorine. The preferred cycloalkyl groups are those having 3-6 carbon atoms. The cycloalkyl groups also include those which are substituted on an alkyl chain, 2-cyclopropylethyl, cyclopropylmethyl, 2-cyclopropyl propyl or 2-cyclopropylpropyl or cyclohexylmethyl. Preferred compounds are those having the formulas: ##STR4##
These compositions can be used to inhibit the growth of cancers and other tumors in humans or animals by administration of an effective amount either orally, rectally, topically or parenterally, intravenously or by injection into the tumor.